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6.25.2012

Worth It

Conviction: a firmly held belief or opinion.

There are a few things that I hold strong convictions too. Over the past few years I have become more and more convicted that young girls don't know their worth. My activism against human trafficking is the most evident out pouring of my conviction that people don't know they are loved, thought about and cherished.

Living with my girls this year, my passion and convictions have only grown about this issue. Just last week my grade seven lady had to answer interview questions for a class project. The question asked when you are older if you want to get married. I was suppose to edit her response for grammar but when I read "I will never get married, because men are abusive and kill women" the grammar didn't matter so much. I know her story, her past. I knew she wasn't making up or exaggerating her answer at all. This was truly how she felt and how she views men... can I blame her after what she has been through? She has never had a father figure in her life and the men that she is around rape girls and young women. I will never stop praying for her heart and for a Godly man to one day come into her life and treat her like a princess. There are Godly men out there.. godly men who are choosing to run in the other direction and treat women right... but why can I only name a few of them?

In the Supreme Court of Canada there are many talks about making prostitution legal. I recently watched a documentary on "lover boys in the Netherlands" (where prostitution is legal). These men pose as lover boys, they start dating a girl, and tell her they are short on money...if she could just sleep with his one guy friend he would pay her for her service.. after this happens..its a few guys she is asked to sleep with... and the next stage is the girl is his slave. He controls the money, what she can and can't do and her tells her she is worthless. Because no force was used to make her a slave the men cannot be charged because prostitution is legal. The documentary asked these men what they did to make these girls hooked? What made them give into a fake relationship, what made them willing to prostitute themselves? What made it so easy?

Gifts.

They just had to buy the girl a few presents, tell her that He loved her, made her feel loved for a few months and she was hooked. They could manipulate her.

My conviction has exploded after watching yet another documentary where women don't know their worth. If they knew that they had purpose, if they knew they were loved, valued and appreciated would they give into a fake relationship and a few gifts? Would it work? I know I am young and not that wise but from my personal relationships and from what I've seen girls just want to be loved.

We just want to know we are worth it.

My purpose in South Africa living with those children was to show them with actions and words that they are worth it. That they are loved. It was to sit down with my grade seven girl and tell her she has a purpose, regardless of whether she gets married or not. It was in instil self confidence that could only come from understanding Jesus's love.

But the children have gone, good byes have been said. So now what Lord? I am realizing over and over again that girls whether they live in South Africa, Netherlands or Canada still want to be loved. It's the same need, the same desperation that is often found in relationships, found in another guy who will give them temporary love.

This is my biggest and deepest conviction: to remind girls and young woman that they are worth it. That we are worth it. To raise up a generation of woman who know they are loved; who don't need a man to tell them that.

This stems from so many years of my own insecurities of just wanting to be loved, of wanting to be told I'm beautiful, wanting to cherished. I've experience so much heartache and pain through this but by God's incredible grace I have received immense freedom and it feels so amazing. I have experienced a small taste of knowing without a doubt that I am loved by Jesus and realizing that is all that matters. Although I still struggle with this A LOT, I want to encourage other beautiful woman to keep remembering their worth, to keep each other accountable.